Detroit Pistons trade Ersan Ilyasova from Milwaukee in exchange for Caron Butler and Shawne Williams
After seven playing seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, veteran Ersan Ilyasova will move to Detroit as the Pistons and Bucks moved players as part of a rare mid-NBA Finals trade deal that was announced on Thursday. As part of the deal, fellow veteran Caron Butler and Shawne Williams will be shipped to Milwaukee in exchange for Ilyasova.
Ilyasova played 58 games and due to injury concern the Bucks front court was suffering, he started 36 of those games. He averaged 11.5 points and 4.8 rebounds on 47.2% shooting from the field and 38.9 from long range. Standing at a height of 6 foot 10 inches, Ilyasove adds big man three point shooting to the Pistons, a talent that team general manager and Head Coach Stan Van Gundy has a soft spot for.
"Not only is (Ilyasova) a proficient 3-point shooter that can stretch the floor, he is a high-energy, hard-playing guy who fits extremely well with how we want to play," Van Gundy said.
Meanwhile for the Bucks, the expiring contracts of Butler and Williams give them more cap room to operate with this summer while Ilyasova is under contract through the 2016-17 season. The trade helps the Milwaukee franchise in their plans to match any offer given to their reserve shooting guard and restricted free agent Khris Middleton.
In his 12th year as a pro, Butler will be playing for his sixth team in the last eight NBA season. He returns to Milwaukee after buying out of their contract in February of 2014 and signing with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the rest of the season. Despite his veteran experience, as mentioned earlier he and Williams would be most valuable to the Bucks for their contracts which will help the franchise’s cap space for this off-season.
A rare time for a trade but there’s nothing better than both teams benefitting from a trade. Great to see that.